Stern Desire Love Redeemed (14 page)

"So you are going to be here?" I needed a verbal confirmation to believe what I was hearing.

"Yes."

He took my hand and I sat on the bed next to him, our faces
inches away from each other.

"Are you happy now?" he whispered in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.

"Who said I wasn't?" I held my breath as he nibbled on the lobe of my ear; his warm breath caressed my ear lobe as the
tingling radiated from my spine.

"You don't hide your emotions very well." His soft, warm hand was under my scrub top caressing my back. The heat from his fingertips left a tingling sensation in its trail as they travelled over my
back. His hand came around, pushing my bra up, and capturing my full perky breasts; my nipples grew firmer at his touch. I moaned loudly as his fingers sunk into the delicate flesh of my breast and squeezed. Our eyes locked, mine
begging him for more as my v-jay twitched, his eyes teasing me playfully. I leaned forward to kiss him and a primal groan escaped me as he applied steady pressure to my nipples, and then rolled them between his fingers. I closed my
eyes and tightened the muscles of my pelvis to contain that deep, aching urge in my pelvis that compelled me to beg for more. I'd never felt anything like this before. I loved this feeling. I wanted him. I ached deeply for him.

"Look at me, Kyra," he gently coaxed.

I wanted to hide my emotions; reluctantly I opened my eyes and looked at him.

"Good girl, keep your eyes on me," he cajoled.

He rolled a nipple between his thumb and forefinger. I
fought the urge to close my eyes and a throaty moan escaped me. As the painful yet pleasurable assault on my nipple continued, an inferno raged deep inside me, and moisture leaked from my throbbing v-jay and soaked my underwear. His
tantalizing eyes changed from a vibrant, reddish orange hue with specks of green to a predominantly soft green with hints of gold emanating from his pupils. His eyes held me in a trance as my body shivered from the frenzy of
emotions that were so foreign to me. He gently caressed my breast, soothing the pain away. I swayed toward him and fought back a moan.

"Do you like this?" Jared asked huskily as his other hand found my neglected breast and gently caressed it.

"Yes," I said breathlessly.

"Beg for it, Kyra."

I wanted his torturous fingers on my nipples. The pain and the pleasure pleased and confused me.

How could he so easily arouse emotions in me I had never felt before? I had never begged before, but was more than willing to do so for his touch.

"Please, Jared," I whispered.

He smiled. With a hand on each nipple, he pinched and rolled
them, driving me into a deeper, maddening frenzy. His lips took mine and I moaned. My sweet spot twitched for his touch. My pelvis ached and the wetness between my legs increased. I fought the urge to straddle him. He kissed me
deeply. I closed my eyes and let my emotions take me into an altered state of awareness where space and time ceased to exist. The pain, tension, and passion collided and the heaviness in my pelvis was insurmountable. I closed my eyes as the urge
to pee overcame me and I tingled from head to toe. A contraction gripped my sweet spot, my toes curled in my shoes, and then they released. I shuddered against him and bit my lips to silence the groans.

Eight years of numbness, not feeling or having a man's hand
on my body, awakened hot passion in me that I had never experienced. He had done things to me, and provoked emotions that no man had been able to. If this relationship should end unfavorably, I would have no regrets. I preferred to
suffer through the hurt than to have felt nothing at all.

.

In the morning just before I left, I stood by his bedside trying hard to take in the fact that he would not be there when I came into
work tonight. I handed Jared the envelope with my lab results. He turned it over in his hand, and then looked soulfully in my eyes.

"If this is what I think it is, there is no need. From the very first day, I've trusted you implicitly with my health...my life. This
is not necessary, love." He placed the envelope back in my hand.

The trust he had in me was more than I had in him. I carefully scrutinized his lab results. His lab work was done under an alias
that I had committed to memory. If I had not seen Dr. Collins write that name on the paperwork, I probably would not have accepted it.

"So why don't you take some time off? I'm still going to need a nurse."

"Home health is being arranged for you."

"I've refused it."

"Who will be doing your wound care?"

"I was hoping you would."

"I can't. I don't want to play that role anymore. Furthermore I don't have the time."

"Take some time off from work," he suggested.

I could, but I don't want to. "I can't."

"So we are at an impasse."

"You are being difficult. That's what it is," I said very annoyed. Why should he always get his way?

"I only want the best." He took my hand and pulled
me closer to him.

"I do not want to be your nurse anymore," I insisted.

"How about my girlfriend who happens to be a nurse?"

"How about I find a very qualified nurse to do the job for you?" I sighed. He was really frustrating me. "Jared, please understand if I do this, I'm your nurse and nothing else."

"I can live with that. I can wait."

"You are going to wait a month?" I asked in disbelief.

"Can you wait?" he asked teasing with a sly smile.

I smirked at him.

Wait you shall, because I can. I think.
After last night I was no longer sure about my abilities to resist this man. I had plans to make this a very difficult month for him or maybe both of us.

It would have been extremely difficult for me to do Jared's
dressing changes for the entire week. Jenn, being the terrific friend that she was, agreed to fill in for two days. I rearranged my schedule by switching to days, so after work I drove down to Star Island to do his pin care. It took me
half an hour to get there from work, the pin care took another half an hour, and it was an hour drive home.

I pulled up to the guard gate of prestigious Star Island, home of celebrities and business moguls. The island screamed wealth and luxury;
tall palm trees lined the roadway, well-manicured lawns, huge homes hidden behind high walls and iron gates. At the huge white painted iron gate, I pushed the button on the intercom and the gate slowly opened. Anxiety overcame me and
my heart galloped in my chest. Behind the huge stone wall and in front of me was a spectacular home - a combination of old southern opulence and new world charm resting in the middle of a picturesque landscape.

The big wooden door opened before I rang the doorbell.
Cattleya greeted me warmly. The strikingly beautiful marble and rainbow colored petrified wood foyer overlooked a majestic living room. The aquamarine waters of the Biscayne Bay were the backdrop of this palatial residence. Tall date
palms lined the waterway. The house was warm and inviting, embellished with the finest woodwork, marble floor, cathedral ceilings with intricately designed ceiling medallions, and numerous Romanesque windows and French doors. The grandiose cherry wood staircase curved gracefully and majestically upwards, and
I found myself wanting to see Jared's bedroom. The architectural design and detail of the house was superb, and almost every room had a spectacular ocean view. I followed Cattleya to a small private patio next to the indoor-outdoor
pool surrounded by bright colored, sweet smelling tropical flowers. Jared was there waiting. A brilliant smile adorned his gorgeous face as I came into view. I took a deep breath to calm down.
Do not run into his arms, Kyra. Do your
job and leave.

"Good evening, Jared. How are you?" I sat on a chair next to him and readied myself to change his dressing.

"Much better now, babe." He reached over to take
my hand.

"Please, let me finish my work here first." I smiled at him and he reclined in the chair.

"You have a very beautiful home," I said as I laid the supplies out.

"Thank you. This is our family home."

After completing the dressing change, I stood up to leave, and he took a hold of my hand.

"Why don't you have dinner with me?" He sat up so
I was standing between his legs. "Please stay...my mom's an excellent cook."

"Sorry, Mr. Stern, I have to go." I unwound his fingers from my hand. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Come on, Kyra. What is this?"

"This is me being your nurse. Remember you said you could wait."

"Kyra, we've had dinners together before."

"That was then. Let me know when it's too much for you to
handle, and I'll find you a nurse."

.

For the next couple of weeks, I was so professional it was bordering on torture. I wished I had this control when he was in the hospital.
On the days I didn't have to leave directly after work, I would dress a little sexier, show some cleavage, some legs, and bend a little lower just to tease him. I did my job and left.

"Don't you think you are taking this a bit too
far?" Jared asked one day as I was about to leave. "We have no one watching us now, but yet..."

"That was the condition, remember? You chose me being your nurse over your girlfriend. You can't have both."

"I can," he said, giving me a sly look and leaning toward me. "Do you remember our last night at the hospital?"

"I do quite fondly."

His eyes widened as I leaned over to give him a sneak peek
of my creamy breasts.

"You chose incorrectly, babe," I whispered in his ear.

I stood up, and straightened my shirt over my waist.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Stern."

"Kyra," he moaned.

"Girlfriend or nurse?" I said as I turned to leave.

"When are you going to let me take you on a date?"

I turned back to face him.

"You already have," I said fondly remembering those late night dinners in his hospital room.

"A real date, Kyra."

"How about you let me take you on a date?" I said
sweetly.

"That would be a nice change."

"When I'm no longer your nurse."

A frustrating sigh escaped him. His piercing eyes penetrated
my back as I sashayed away.

.

Aunt Magg, Nate, and I were invited to a barbeque at my sister Rachel's condo on the beach. It was on the way to Jared's house, so I stopped to do his pin care and left them in the car.

It had been a month since his discharge and the clot in his leg had almost completely dissolved. The pain, swelling, and redness he had in his calf from the DVT had subsided. His only concern now was when he would be
off crutches, which would probably be another couple of weeks.

I was almost through when my phone rang. It was Nate wanting to use the bathroom. I told him I'd be right out, hung up the phone, and placed
it on the table; Nate's picture still displayed on the screen.

"Who was that?" Jared asked.

"That was Nate."

"Where is he?"

I stopped cleaning the pins and weighed the thought of lying
to him or not.

"Where is Nate, Kyra?" Jared asked again.

"He's in the car with my aunt," I answered timidly.

"Why didn't you let them come in?"

"Because... I won't be long."

"This is unacceptable." He was peeved at me. "Why did you leave them out there?"

Jared called J.C. and he appeared immediately in the
doorway.

"Please invite Kyra's son and her aunt in for me." He stared at me angrily.

I felt like a child who had done something wrong. I quickly
finished up. He reached for his crutches and left me on the patio. I hastily cleaned up and put the supplies away. By the time I got to the living room, Jared and Nate were chatting about games and Aunt Magg was following Cattleya to the kitchen.

"Would you like to see the game room?" Jared asked Nate.

"I'd love to," Nate replied, sounding excited.

"Nate, we're going to be late," I interrupted.

"Aunt Rach won't mind," Nate said.

Jared glared at me. I watched as they left me standing alone in the living room. Aunt Magg and Cattleya were in the kitchen talking about food and recipes. I got something to drink and found the game room. I went
unnoticed so I went back to the patio, put my headsets on, and enjoyed the view of Biscayne Bay. Miami City was the scenic background as majestic vessels cruised by: charter vessels with people in awe at the multi-million dollar
homes snapping pictures as they went by.

My daydream about making love to Jared was interrupted. I snapped back to reality when I felt warm, feathery strokes against my cheek, Jared's face inches from mine.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled and kissed his hand.

"Your son is amazing. He is so intelligent and very well-mannered." His finger moved to my lips.

"Where is he?"

"He's eating."

"Kiss me," I said out of the blue.

He smiled and leaned back in his chair.

"Nurse Kyra, I'm not sure if I heard correctly, but did
you ask me to kiss you?"

"Yes, I did."

"Are you sure you won't be breaking any of your personal rules?" He leaned forward, his eyes beckoning me to him. Then he sexily licked his lip. My insides instantly weakened. My eyes fixed on his
lips. I wanted to taste him, to drink him all up. I leaned in and made eye contact. He brushed his nose against mine, then kissed me tenderly on the tip. He licked my lips softly with the tip of his tongue, and lightly blew air on my
wet, just-licked lips. My stomach quivered from nerves. With slightly parted lips, we met. His tongue entered and tenderly explored my mouth, unleashing that warm, tingly feeling.

"I've missed your lips," he whispered against my
lips. He held my face in his hands for a long, hard, intense kiss. His tongue probed and explored my mouth. My pelvis ached. I wanted more.

"I told you I would have both," Jared said when we
came up for air.

My mind was foggy from that heated kiss. "Both of what?"

"You being my nurse and my girlfriend."

He won again. Disappointment overcame me. His charm and my
insatiable need for him were my downfall. I was not able to hold out till the end, but I was also relieved. The past couple of weeks, I tortured not only Jared but also myself. His last night at the hospital replayed over and over in
my head, and every replay got me so hot and achy on the inside. I was playing with fire. Every day I saw him, the tension built more and more. I wanted his hands all over me, his lips on my lips, his tongue dancing around mine. I was wound up so tightly, any day now I would either spontaneously combust or erupt
like Mount Vesuvius, and that would have been devastatingly embarrassing for me.

.

Jared and I had discussed birth control. We both were tested, so condoms were unnecessary. Furthermore, he hated them. Said they were
unnatural and sex was better without the barrier. He was against the shots and IUDs, as was I. Birth control pills were the best option for me. I'd been on the pills before as a contraceptive method and also as a medication to regulate
my period, and I had never missed a pill, so I knew that this would be the best choice for me. I was taking control. We both were not ready for children. My life was booked and now I had to fit Jared Stern into it. I practically had two
jobs, my job at the hospital; also there were the hours I had to complete for my doctorate, school, and a child to take care of. At times I wished there were more hours in a day, or better yet, that I could clone myself.